All I have heard about over the last couple of weeks has been these Hunger Games books and, of course, the new movie. The anticipation was incredible. I was reading and hearing about it everywhere I went. In the days leading up to the movie release, it was all anyone seemed to talk about.
Now, I have never read the books and I really had no interest in them or the movie until all this hype started. I suppose it must have been contagious, because I started getting curious and after hearing how good the movie was I decided I wanted to see it, see what all this excitement was about. I've been skeptical from the very beginning, as I usually am with these book trends like the Hunger Games and Twilight series. I just couldn't generate any interest in reading a book about teenagers murdering each other. But, I decided that I needed to see for myself what it was all about. So, last night I went to see the movie.
Let me start off by saying that the movie was very good, and very well done. For someone who has never read the books, didn't know anything about them really, I can definitely say it was well done from a movie stand point. Also, I can see where the hype is coming from. It's a different concept, something you don't really see and I can see how the story could be very interesting and captivating to other people.
Having said that, I can't say that it did anything for me.
I still have no urge to read the books and I can't say that after seeing the first movie I can't wait to see the rest or find out what happens next. I probably will see the next two when they come out, simply because I've seen the first and I'm just the type who likes to see the whole series through, but I can't say that I am excited for them or have any other interest in them.
To be honest, it really bothered me to watch these kids murdering each other and really just the whole concept of it. I understood where it came from and why it was like that in the story, but it still really disturbed me. I also felt a lot of anxiety throughout the movie. I'm not quite sure why, but there were points where I felt like I was going to have a bit of a panic attack. I guess the whole concept was very frightening to me on some level.
Also, Katniss and Peeta's relationship bothered me quite a bit. I don't know how it is supposed to be in the book, but I found it incredibly superficial and fake. I don't know if it was just bad chemistry between actors or what, but it didn't feel right to me. Maybe that's how it was supposed to be, I don't know...
Anyway, I'm not putting down the book or the movie in any way, I just don't think it is for me and, having seen the movie and now that I know what it is about, I probably will not go out and buy the books.
The first book is really a piece of work. It's good, and that's coming from me. It's kind of got the same feel that Twilight had for me, the author's a good storyteller but not amazing writer (maybe it has something to do with the first person?). Anyways, the books are really driving and the author always ends each chapter with a cliffhanger, which makes it almost impossible to put down. It's very effective.
ReplyDeleteOn Katniss and Peeta's relationship: in the book it is entirely superficial. I haven't seen the movie so I don't know how it's presented, but in the book after Peeta declares that he loves Katniss, Haymitch urges the two to play up the idea that they're starcrossed lovers in the book so the crowd will love them and they may both be given a chance to win the Games.
I say you should give the first book a try, but I won't push it :P
I don't know. I have no doubt it's a good book, but I just can't seem to generate the interest to want to read it, even after the movie (which I've heard follows the book as well as a movie can). I might give it a chance, but I'm a bit concerned because it is supposed to be more graphic than the movie and I found the movie kind of graphic. Actually, no. The movie wasn't that graphic in normal terms, but because it was kids, it seemed more grotesque, I guess. Anyway, I might borrow the first book off someone and see how it is, but I'm not going to run out and buy them all at once just yet.
DeleteThe books are surprisingly un-graphic, actually. Sure, lots of death, and the last book has some really graphic scenes near the end. Also lots of horrible stuff happening. Lots. But since it's from the main-character's perspective it's less about how it happened and descriptions of gore and yuck you'd expect and more about how it affects her mentally. Which is a good way of handling it, I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably going to see it Thursday :)